


Once a Slave, Now a Conqueror

by Sexually_confused_Goblin



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Good Lotor (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Lance (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Post-Canon, Slow Burn, Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:40:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29843715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sexually_confused_Goblin/pseuds/Sexually_confused_Goblin
Summary: "With our greed you were damned to be a slave under the disguise of a prince."Lotor finally was free to rest after all the pain and destruction endured. But what if he was presented with a second chance? Would he even be able to use it?
Relationships: Curtis/Shiro (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Lance/Lotor (Voltron)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 14





	Once a Slave, Now a Conqueror

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little heads up: Nobody is going to die in this fanfiction (as I don't like making myself cry while writing), but there WILL be mentions or implications of thoughts of suicide. This story isn't finished as of now but I don't plan on writing too much angst and it'll have a happy ending.

Step after step he approached the light, his mother, his father and Allura at his side. Their warm, kind smiles encouraging him to go on. After such a long time he could finally feel a wave of calmness washing over him. No more fear, no more rage, no more guilt – only freedom. The world was free of him and he was free of the world. A melancholic smile found its way to his lips, even though his heart ached at that thought. There had been so many things in this universe he had still wanted to explore, to experience things he knew of but also complete surprises. He knew it was for the best, his mind free at last of the influence of quintessence, but he couldn’t help feeling a tinge of jealousy at the thought of the Paladins being able to continue exploring far away corners of far away galaxies. At the same time he felt genuinely happy for them, as those curious humans had found a soft spot in his heart to settle in, even in his altered state of mind. 

The touch of a gentle hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts. Back in the moment, he glanced at his mother’s eyes in which he could find all the motherly love and affection he had so desperately longed for during all of his childhood. Her hand was still resting on the same spot, but now with slightly more strength. He blinked, finding himself not being able to take another step forward. His pulse started racing as well as his mind. Why were they not moving anymore? Why did Honerva stop him? The calmness and peace he had by now begun to embrace were already fading away, his previous agitation and constant tension creeping back into his muscles, jaw and shoulders straining again, confusion and panic racking his nerves alongside each other. 

Honerva had now put both her hands on his shoulders, her gaze gentle but strict at the same time.   
“As your mother I was supposed to gift you life,” she said quietly, but with strength nonetheless.   
“What you had to endure one can hardly call living, but rather surviving. I know it’s not my place to judge someone else’s quality of life, but what I also know is that I wouldn’t have wanted this kind of life for my child had I not been corrupted by greed and quintessence … and you also didn’t, as you expressed multiple times.” He didn’t know how to react to his mother’s little speech. However, he didn’t need to react, as Honerva had only stopped talking for a short time to steel herself and take some few shaking breaths before continuing, “With me and Zarkon as your parents you were doomed to a life of death and destruction. With our greed you were damned to be a slave under the disguise of a prince. With the influence of the quintessence you were cursed with inevitable insanity.” Honerva’s eyes started glistening as she removed her right hand from his shoulder and fondly cradled his face.   
“I failed you as a mother – as your mother,” she carried on, her words chosen with determination despite the obvious fear and hesitation apparent in her gaze, “I am aware there is no possibility of redemption for my deeds,” Honerva’s demeanour growing more resolute with every breath she took, “However, there’s one last action I am willing to take.” While declaring those words his mother’s hands left his shoulder and cheek only for him to find them pressed at his temples. He couldn’t comprehend what was happening around him when Honerva extended her arms a bit farther to actually be able to place her hands above his pointy ears. 

She felt his heartbeat quicken at the touch, realization slowly dawning on him. Before he could even open his mouth to protest, altean magic was already flowing through Honerva’s fingers, a faint light engulfing his vision. He tried his hardest to focus on the woman in front of him, not wanting to lose the opportunity of peace and rest that had been present just a few moments ago, the chance to be reunited with his family now seeming out of reach. Not being able to bear such thought his eyes started burning. To keep himself from crying, as he realised there was now no way back, he strained his jaw even more, although this didn’t hinder a few tears from trickling down his cheeks to his chin. 

The tingling on his temples grew stronger with every passing moment. Ever so slowly the sparks of magic turned brighter and steadily enveloped his vision in their light. 

“I want you to be able to live the life you had dreamed of so dearly, longed for over millennia. My beloved son, please use this second chance, as not everyone who wishes for one is granted one,” with those words he felt a last wave of magic rushing through his head, before everything turned to blissful nothingness.   
“Please forgive me, Lotor.” 

\-----

Silence. Basically this was all he had wanted after all. Quiet and peace. He wouldn’t need to care about earthly matters anymore and the universe didn’t need to fear for its sovereignty after terror, war and dictatorship. There also would be no more need for the Lions and their Paladins. Sure, there would still be some rogue Galra out and about, but seeing how far the Paladins and Blade of Marmora had come in uniting planets and people to fight for the greater good, Lotor had no doubt those few scattered warlords wouldn’t become a threat … as long as they were defeated before they actually managed to join forces that is – that’s where he stopped himself. He didn’t want to think about fights. The war was over and so was his life. At least it should have been if it weren’t for his mother’s meddling. 

On the one hand Lotor was almost ecstatic at the prospect of maybe exploring far away galaxies, but on the other hand he knew he just couldn’t make it far, no matter what the scenario. His face was too well known to be able to mingle with the masses and not stick out, even if he tried his limited powers of shape shifting. He was considered a war criminal. Rightfully so he thought, as using his own people as living batteries was not considered unproblematic and his clear mind made him painfully aware of that. 

The more wrongdoings Lotor remembered, the more he dreaded waking up. He didn’t know how long his consciousness was trapped in the astral plane, didn’t know in which condition his body was and if he could even make it on his own, didn’t know if he even was alone. The thought of probably not waking up alone frightened him more than actually being alone. Would he wake up in his ship he died in? Or had his enemies dragged his dead body out of the debris and away? But what use might his corpse have had to them? They’d have most probably discarded him somewhere where his allies – or any other people for whatever reasons – weren’t able to find him, which would work in his favour as to not wanting to draw any attention. But what if he woke up in the presence of someone? Would he just be locked up for the remainder of his days, not able to use his second chance? How ridiculously ironic it would be, were he to be executed just moments after being brought back to life. 

Lotor himself wasn’t too fond of the idea of having to continue living, as he had already had peace of mind and eternal rest almost in his grasp, so he decided to stay for a fun time rather than a long time, so that at least his mother’s efforts weren’t in vain. He was aware that Honerva meant well, wanted to right one of her wrongs, but the prospect of him travelling the universe just felt askew to him the more time he stayed in this state, somewhat on the border between life and death. An insisting scream of guilt Lotor had successfully managed to suppress after leaving the mortal realm crept its way back up into his consciousness. He let his mind wander a bit, “Maybe I should visit one of our formerly conquered planets and look what’s changing now that the empire’s gone, eat some of my favourite food and after a few days passed just…” At this point Lotor stopped himself, not wanting to dwell on his dark thoughts any longer. 

It was only now that he noticed the change to his surroundings. He couldn’t discern a visual change but rather one in the ambience. Everything seemed to pulsate around him, abuzz with energy but without any sound. The returning sense of touch was overwhelming Lotor, feeling almost too harsh on his skin, like warming one’s fingers too early after on the brink of freezing them stiff. Every part of Lotor’s body felt foreign and alien. His tongue was sitting too awkwardly in his mouth, his hair pulling too heavily on his scalp, his heart beating too forcefully. 

All those sensations only increased over the next few moments, culminating in a deafening ringing in Lotor’s ears. Now also his vision shifted. He still only perceived blinding brightness although slowly but surely it diluted until only a few bright spots were visible, around them existed darkness. The ringing subsided as well and shifted to a regular beeping and something akin to murmuring. Lotor tried to move his head to the side and the focus of his eyes away from the shining circles so they wouldn’t get burned into his retina like it would with an old computer screen – only to stare into a pair of concerned, dark grey eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! 
> 
> I'm always happy to receive constructive criticism, so please feel free to point out mistakes of any kind (especially concerning English, as it's not my native language) ^^
> 
> As for rating and the tags: they might be updated with each chapter.


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